God Bless America!

We want to invite everyone to join us in our journey.
We share laughter and tears.
We share what works for us and what doesn't.
We recently started a Topic of the Day.

Monday........Motivation Monday
Tuesday.......Tuesday Tips
Wednesday.....Wednesday Weigh ins
Thursday......Thankful Thursday
Friday........Friday Facials, Fingernails and Fun
Saturday.......Sit-up Saturdays - any physical activity
Sunday.........Soup and Salad Sunday - recipes

We chat on Wednesday and Sunday at 8:30 EST, 7:30 CST.

These are not required topics ...just ideas to share. We have found them very helpful. We also share heartaches and fears...joys and celebrations.

WELCOME!

Thanks, Audrey. I need the encouragement. I have been sooooo yoyoing for soooo long. It's time to get serious, seriously committed! Good luck with you weigh in tomorrow. I'm sure you'll have good results too.

Good morning!
The way I understand the fast track (20 pts) is that it is to be used for the 'fast start' or to get you off a plateau. but doesn't need to be used all or the time, or ever for that matter. Just stick to the prescribed points for yor weight level the rest of the time.

I started using my pedometer yesterday and only got 2500 steps in! YIKES! they say you should walk 10,000 steps a day for a healthy heart....of course that will help wth weight loss too! Yesterday, I did a lot of packing, and a lot of the sorting and wrapping etc was done while sitting, so got a lot of upper body exercise

REal estate prices in the neighborhood are sky rocketing, and selling! so we are getting more anxious to get this place on the market! DH just has 4 weeks left to work.

I must get going, I am meeting a friend for ceramics class this morning.

til later! have a great OP day!!!

Hey guys....

You are absolutely right about the Fast Track. It is to be done, I believe either the first week, or the first two weeks or when you hit a plateau. You must be very careful though.....20 pts. is not alot.

My meeting is today at 5:30 and dh is going with me for support, so I am very pleased about that. I think sometimes it's hard for him to understand why it's better to go to the meetings. He's never questioned my loyalty to WW, nor even is it a $$ issue. I think I just want him to understand.... if that's possible.

I'm a little worried about WI today (not Wisconsin) because I know most of the weight I lost last week was due to all the....shall we say, bathroom trips and is almost always gained back when eating occurs. Not to mention, TOM decided to rear it's ugly head yesterday, so I feel like I've swallowed a beach ball.

Wish me luck.

Im still here, been reading but no time to post with the family issues going on. DH's grandpa is still holding on. They thought last night would be it and called all the family in, but he is still with us today. The doctor at the hospital of course advised the family not to take him home that he would never leave that hospital alive, and if he did that he would be gone within hours. Well it is going on 4 days now and the man is still here by the grace of god. I think everyone has come to visit and say their goodbyes and I am sure that is what he is holding on for. He and his girlfriend of 20+ years also got married yesterday. My hubby took his shift at the bedside lastnight and is home napping now, so I don't know all the details, but do know that my hubby is happy that he got some time with him and I will support that no matter what!!!

On a brighter note: The WW plan is going strong still, I had a mis hap 1 day this weekend but it should not kill the plan totally!!! We will see what the Scale goddess grants me tomorrow.

Exciting news: I came to work today and my boss got me Toby Keith tickets!! They are almost impossible to get and she got them. I do believe Blake Shelton is with him and I am so excited to see them both. What a nice boss I have.

Well I have a ton to do before I leave so will say bye for now, and hope to check back in later...

Hello to all

I have finally been able to get online and post. I lost 5 pounds on Saturday at weighin. I was a bit disappointed to be honest, since I worked sooooo hard, but 5 pounds is great. I am proud to also say that today is day 10 OP! I don't remember anytime that I stayed OP 10 days. Yesterday was a real challenge, as I went to my Parent's house and they had lots and lots of pizza. I did not even eat one piece!!!!!! I wanted it, but I didn't want to use those points.

I am definitely coming to the Spring Fling in April, eventhough my husband at first thought that I was abandoning him. I don't think that he feels that way anymore, but he wishes he and Andrew could come (but he has no vacation time left at work).

Congrats Thin on the 1 pound loss. You did great not eating those apple fritters, even if they are only 7 points.

Got to run.... Hope everyone is doing great, sorry I can't reply to everyone.

Susie

well we got snow. new exercise digging car out that ....snowplow always get me blocked in! we got 8-10 inches,the hardest part is getting the dog out ,he doesNOT want the snow to touch his hinie[he is min. dashound] that means i have to shovel a spot. how's everyone doing on exercise i finally started riding bi ke so far so good, lost only 1 lb, this week. susie congrats on the 5 lbs, that is great congrats to all the losers. sandy i am so jealous toby keith love him!! barb and thin i also like josh duhame he is fun to watch on las vegas. lucky just [big hugs] that was a bad week. 2cute just have to say being the mother of boys it is fun to hear about planning a wedding. hope everyone has a good day welcome to stephanie. pat

Hi all! I'm back for my second chic fix. I was out and about and did my running. I did not go to Curves, and no, I'm not going back out again today. The freezing rain has started and I'm just not going to do it. I'll tell ya, this freezing cold weather and bleak looking days just make me want to curl up with a good book.

Joyce: You may have hit on something with your explanation of Fast Track. Since Atkins, Sugar Busters, South Beach and others seem to have a two week "detox" period, maybe the WW people were looking to do something similar just to keep up with the hype. * You must be getting so excited for the move. I'm glad houses are really selling by you. There's several in my neighborhood that have been up for quite some time.

Tina: Don't you even bother yourself with what the WI (not Wisconsin) number holds for you. Wipe your slate clean. Actually, with you having to join all over again, your slate really IS clean. Don't pay any attention to what you have done in the past, or the last number you were at. Make this truly DAY ONE! You'll have new paperwork. If they don't give you a new book, ask for one. Pretend like you've never been there before. That way you will not have a gain tonight, you'll have a starting point. I think you'll find that that way there is NO NEGATIVE to deal with, only an "I'm doing something POSITIVE for myself tonight" kind of feeling. I'm so glad Ron is going with you. Even if he isn't helpful at home, at least he'll know first hand what you're committed to. [[[hugs]]] GREAT JOB starting over!!!

Sandy: Toby Keith!!! OMG, can I come??? You put an "s" on the end of "ticket" so that must mean you got more than one. Can I come, huh huh, can I???? If you got more than 2 tickets, it sounds like Pat will come too. That's nice that everyone is rallying around Fern's grandpa. I'm sure that he just wanted to go home, take care of business with his lady and have a chance to say goodbye to all of his family. My aunt went through that too. She waited for everyone to come and see her, and then when it was just her 3 kids and her, she passed in the night. My heart goes out to you guys, death is never easy no matter how long and good a life he's had. Just know that you are all a part of letting him do it his way. [[[hugs]]]

Susie: Ok, I'll say CONGRATS first and then, I'm really ticked at you!!! How can you not be happy with a 5 POUND loss???? My goodness, girlfriend, you did OUTSTANDING!!! Get those negatives out of your head and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!! Good job staying away from the pizza.

Pat: WOW, you got socked with snow. They're predicting your 8-10 to hit here tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath. We'll probably actually see another 2-3 (which will be enough!). I have visions of you shovelling the grass so your dog can go out. What a hoot!!!

Well girls, I'm gone. See ya all later. Love ya bunches.

Snow report here is only 5 inches, but enough to make me think of warm, sandy beaches.

Thin & 2Cute I think you both mentioned the Dr. Phil and Oprah shows from last Monday. Well, I finally finished watching them. I know, I am as slow at watching TV as I am at posting.

The thing that really hit me was from Oprah. She had Bob Greene on and his "thing" is - the question isn't do I want to lose weight, it's am I willing to do what it takes to lose weight. Geez I hate that!!! I have been thinking about this for some time now so when Bob Greene said it was a moment. I have to decide, once and for all, do I want to lose this weight and be healthy or do I want to stay hiding, safely in this fat?

Hey Lucky: It's funny that you brought that up. My WW leader is always saying how on the top of her journal each week she writes "are you willing?" That's what it comes down to. Am I willing to drive by Tim Horton's and Dunkin' Donuts to avoid the Apple Fritters? Am I willing to eat 5 servings of fruits/veggies a day? Am I willing to drink all of my water? Am I willing to count points and journal? .........the list goes on and on, but the bottom line is: Am I willing? Guess it's something to really think about, cuz lately I haven't been willing.

Lucky.... I loved your post. I loved your "I HATE THAT !!" LOL
What I did not love was this quote... What a eye opening statement for me.
"Hiding .... Safely ... in this fat."
First thing it made me realize is.... I can't hide in this fat. It is out there for everyone to see on me. I can live in denial about it... but hiding is not an option. Even if I hide away in my house... the time comes I have to be seen.

And the term "safely" and "in this fat" is such a ... a ... what is the term ??
Lie ? Joke? False statement?
There is nothing safe about my fat. It is totally unsafe.
Not only physically ... but emotionally too. I suffer from depression, low self esteem, denial, fear of rejection and worst of all HOPELESSNESS .... the list goes on and on when I am into the food. My obesity is not safe. Even if I try to convince myself otherwise.... when I try to hide from life because of my obesity I am not "safely" tucked away. I am in more danger of physical, emotional, and spiritual decay than ever.

This is not a criticism of your post... I hope you know that.
It is an awakening to the lies I tell myself.

What I want to say is.... No matter how hard it is to keep trying...
It is worth it !!! Just one day on program improves my self worth.
Just one day of ON PROGRAM makes me stronger.
And I promise... two or three days changes your life.

And Thin... WILLINGNESS
Wow .. what a POWERFUL word. Willing to change. Willing to let go of your old familar ways for new. It is so much easier to hang onto our old habits. But as they say..." If you keep doing the same thing.. you will keep getting the same results. " WILLING to change.

I have changed some of my old habits the past few days.
In the past... if I bought gas.. I bought a diet drink too. Not anymore.
In the past... if someone offered me a free sample I took it. Not anymore.
In the past... if I went to the movies I ALWAYS got popcorn. Not anymore.
In the past... if we ate out I got a tea or diet pop. Not anymore.

Those are minor changes... BUT ... they are changes for the positive.
Just as a baby takes baby steps before learning to walk.. and learning to walk before learning to run... I am learning to change.

Another word that is equal to "willingness" and that is "COMMITMENT".
And I am not talking about being commited to the insane asylum. LOL
I am talking about being COMMITED to a baby step. My baby steps are caffeine free. Sugar Free. My commitment is to NOT eat foods high in carbs.

If you found a program that is right for you....
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS AND BECOME WILLING TO COMMIT TO IT !!!

Okay.. I am getting off my soapbox... and taping my mouth.
Sometimes my enthusiasm comes across as pushy or bossy and I don't mean it to. I am just wanting to share what I know helps me. .. and hope it will help you too.

I have to laugh.. I act like I have found the magic solution. LOL
I have not. But hopefully if I talk about what is working for me instead of what I do wrong... the rights will increase and the wrongs will decrease.
That is another way I make my changes easier to do. I talk about the things I am doing right. A favorite quote of mine is....

"If you focus on the problem... the problem increases.
If you focus on the solution ... the solution increases.
The choice is yours what you put your focus into"

Mornin' Chickies!! (Well, morning for me anyway )

You all are so inspiring with your truths and insights. Now I have to be honest with myself. Obviously the honeymoon is over with this surgery. I have been on mega plateau from **** for about a month now. I keep track of my weight on FitDay.com and the chart used to look like a staircase steadily going down, down, down. For the last month it has been a flat line. _______________________ <- just like that.
I've made some steps in the right direction. I gave up all that pasta I was eating. I'm taking all my suppliments again. However, I've ended up doing the late night munchies thing again. I STILL haven't exercised. So what the ????? Am I willing to do this? I mean really! I've only got 22 pounds left to lose! That should be no big thing comparitively speaking, but it isn't falling off on it's own. I'm going to have to work for it. TODAY I AM GOING TO EXERCISE!! TODAY I AM GOING TO EAT PROTEIN!! TONIGHT I WILL STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN!! AND FOR THE LOVE OF PETE I HAVE TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT SCALE!!!

2Cute: You can be up on your soapbox all you want. It keeps me motivated. Good job on giving up the diet sodas. That's a habit that keeps creeping back up on me.

Thin: I'm with you girl. The weather here has been so crappy for weeks on end it just makes me want to stay in bed all day with a book or a movie. It's not very motivating. Blah.

As for all of you talking about snow, I guess it's contagious cuz now it's snowing here! Thanks a lot!!! LOL

Anyhoo, I'll talk at you all later,
Jen

Morning chicks,
The scale goddess saw fit to grant me a 5.5# loss!!! I am very very happy with that loss. Keeps me going.

My hubby took Evan over to grandpa's again last night because he wanted to go. Then hubby brought him home and then he asked if it was okay if I slept alone again, he thought he would like to go back over. Of course I told him to go, to do whatever he felt he needed to do. He came home early this morning like 3:30, and said he had not passed on yet but felt it would not be long. We got the call around 4:30 that he had passed on. I don't know about any of you but I truely believe in the here after, hubby did not till he heard his grandpa say that "Bert" and "Lev" (brothers who have passed long ago) came to get him. He also said other names including "Bubba" his exact words were "found Bubba" , to refreash your memory "Bubba" is the cousin that was listed as Lost at Sea a few months ago, this would be grandpas~grandson. So you see, I truely believe.

I know he is in a much better place now and a lot more comfy than here on earth, and I am sure that god is getting an ear full because grandpa loved to tell stories. Evan told me this morning that he had a dream of what grandpa looked like in heaven. He said he had much bigger wings (maybe cause he was a very big man) and instead of a harp he got to play his golden harmonica (he loved the harmonica). I think that is a good way for Evan to remember and maybe just maybe grandpa had a hand in that dream to help my little one deal with his feelings at this time.

It's really getting hard to type through the tears so I am gonna sign off for now and will be back later. Love you all!! I will be fine, I am hurting for not only the loss but whats left here also, the tears and sobs to come and the hurt and sadness that so many will feel with this loss. Thanks for listening to me ramble on and on.

~sandy~

Sandy: {{{{hugs}}}} I'm so sorry for your family's loss. Yes, he's in a better place now, but that doesn't stop the hurt for those still here on earth. My thoughts are with you.
On a happier note, congrats on that fantastic 5.5#. THAT'S FANTASTIC!!

As for me, I did do something resembling exercise for about 20 minutes. I hated it. But it's progress. Then I took myself down to the sporting goods store and looked at the exercise equipment. I stared at the stationary bikes for about half an hour. I really want to buy one, but will I use it long term or will it be an expensive clothes rack in a few weeks? I've seen SO many pieces of exercise equipment at yard sales. I've bought and sold a treadmill and one of those mini trampoline thingys after hardly using them at all. I DO love cycling, so I wonder if I shouldn't run back to the store and grab that sucker. They only have ONE left of the kind I want. Oh, what to do????? I don't mind spending the money if I will actually do it. And the fact that I have to contemplate it this hard isn't reassuring. What do I do? AAUUUGGHHH!!!

I'll have to get back to you.
Later taters,
Jen